トップへ » Our Clinic » Media Coverage » Among the elderly, oral abnormalities can sometimes result in candida pneumonia.
Among the elderly, oral abnormalities can sometimes result in candida pneumonia.
Here is an article by Dr. Shigeru Inaba that was published by Kyodo News Service in 31 newspapers around the country in 1996. The author seems to have forgotten about the content of this article, but it touches upon some topics that are very interesting to us dentists, and of course to patients as well. Following is the content of the article.
[Pain and Discomfort in the Tongue]
There are a surprisingly large number of elderly people who suffer from abnormalities of the mouth.
Among severe cases, where people suffer from reduced salivary production or stickiness in the mouth, a few patients have talked about how miserable it can be suffering from numbness in the mouth and tongue pain.
The relationship between these kinds of oral abnormalities and an increase in the mycete candida, which is a type of fungus, is garnering attention.
Professor (at the time) Shigeru Inaba from Nippon Dental University says, 'Increased levels of candida inside of the mouth can cause nothing but trouble.'
[Reduced Function Due To Aging]
Saliva is an in inextricable factor in oral abnormalities. Roughly speaking, there are 3 types of salivary glands. There are the parotid glands in the cheeks, the submandibular glands in the lower jaw, and the sublingual glands under the tongue.
The amount of saliva excreted by an average adult is 1 - 1.5 liters/day. This is roughly equivalent to 2 bottles of beer.
Saliva has several different functions. It contains digestive enzymes that aid in digestion, acts as a lubricant by wetting the inside of the mouth and throat to help food pass down smoothly, and it acts as a cleanser keeping the mouth clean. Moreover, it serves as a mild antibacterial.
However, the functioning ability of salivary glands decreases with age and as we get older we tend to produce less saliva. When the saliva flow slows down, that is when the trouble begins.
This is because not only does food begin to stick to the mouth hindering swallowing, but the inner mouth itself becomes unclean.
Professor Shigeru Inaba states, 'There are tens of kinds of bacteria living in our mouth that we are familiar with, among those, candida tends to grow very easily when using dentures.'
[Opportunistic Infections]
Moreover, in the case of the elderly, in whom the immune system is beginning to weaken, opportunistic infections can occur easily. This is the background under which elderly people are more susceptible to candida infections. Data has been collected and analyzed by Professor Inaba of the Gerodontology Department from 115 male and 149 female recipients.
The results reveal that in 11 males and 12 females there were more than 100,000 candida bacteria present per milliliter of saliva. In half of these cases the number of candida bacteria was more than 1,000,000.
All recipients were originally patients suffering from oral disease, but facts reveal that more than just a small number of people are suffering from candida infections.
Professor Inaba states, 'Candida was detected in nearly 95% of all recipients. Levels of around 1000 bacteria per milliliter are nothing to worry about, but when 100,000 or more are present, you can expect to experience various symptoms. In actuality, more than 5% of recipients complained of discomfort or pain.'
What kind of symptoms can you expect? First the tongue throbs with a burning pain, especially when it is dry. Also the inside of the mouth may sting when eating salty or spicy foods. Flavors may taste off or strange, and the inside of the mouth may feel sticky and uncomfortable. Many cases with these symptoms have been reported.
[Possible Cause of Pneumonia]
There are some cases that are completely asymptomatic, but the reason why candida must not be overlooked is that it is the culprit that leads to visceral mycosis. There on no further defenses if a fungus such as candida makes its way into the vulnerable organs of elderly people. For this very reason, the number of patients suffering from visceral mycosis is gradually increasing and much attention is being given to this disease as a new type of ailment in our aging society. Professor Inaba makes his appeal saying, 'Increasing candida bacteria inside of the mouth may be the cause of esophageal candidiasis or pneumonia. For this reason it is important for us to keep our mouths clean, and it is necessary for elderly persons to thoroughly clean their dentures. When you feel like your saliva has become sticky or strange in any way, you can easily take preventative action by rinsing your mouth with mouthwash.'
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